Innovating the Public Sector in Australia

Abstract

Abstract Innovation has become an increasingly important public policy and public sector reform trend in Australia and in other nations as governments search for new ways to tackle challenging societal problems. Innovation follows on from other reform trends that have been argued about, implemented, and constantly updated (most notably the New Public Management) since the 1970s, but also has distinct attributes. This chapter examines the meaning of public sector innovation and explores how it differs to other approaches to public sector reform. It describes Australian innovation policy at the national level and examines two main varieties of it: innovation as technology, and innovation as culture. Australia’s approach to innovation policy has sometimes focused on individuals (public servants), and at other times on public sector organizations and systems. Innovation labs/units, as one aspect of Australian public sector innovation policy, demonstrate Australia’s general alignment with international trends in this area of public policy.